Search results for "binding proteins"
showing 10 items of 911 documents
Ythdf is a N6‐methyladenosine reader that modulates Fmr1 target mRNA selection and restricts axonal growth in Drosophila
2021
Abstract N6‐methyladenosine (m6A) regulates a variety of physiological processes through modulation of RNA metabolism. This modification is particularly enriched in the nervous system of several species, and its dysregulation has been associated with neurodevelopmental defects and neural dysfunctions. In Drosophila, loss of m6A alters fly behavior, albeit the underlying molecular mechanism and the role of m6A during nervous system development have remained elusive. Here we find that impairment of the m6A pathway leads to axonal overgrowth and misguidance at larval neuromuscular junctions as well as in the adult mushroom bodies. We identify Ythdf as the main m6A reader in the nervous system,…
Cryptochrome in Sponges: A Key Molecule Linking Photoreception with Phototransduction
2013
Sponges (phylum: Porifera) react to external light or mechanical signals with contractile or metabolic reactions and are devoid of any nervous or muscular system. Furthermore, elements of a photoreception/phototransduction system exist in those animals. Recently, a cryptochrome-based photoreceptor system has been discovered in the demosponge. The assumption that in sponges the siliceous skeleton acts as a substitution for the lack of a nervous system and allows light signals to be transmitted through its glass fiber network is supported by the findings that the first spicules are efficient light waveguides and the second sponges have the enzymatic machinery for the generation of light. Now…
Expression analysis of jagged genes in zebrafish embryos
2005
The interaction of transmembrane Delta and Jagged/Serrate ligands with Notch receptors on neighboring cells is critically involved in cell specification during development. In zebrafish, the early expression of delta but not of jagged genes has been investigated in some detail. We have analyzed the sequence and embryonic expression pattern of the three zebrafish genes jagged1a, jagged1b, and jagged2. These genes, whose transcripts are detectable by in situ hybridization from early somitogenesis, are widely and dynamically expressed in embryos. Coexpression is limited, however, to the notochord and lens (jagged1a and jagged1b) and to the otic vesicle and pronephros (jagged1b and jagged2). Co…
Post-translational modifications on RNA-binding proteins: accelerators, brakes, or passengers in neurodegeneration?
2021
RNA-binding proteins (RBPs) are critical players in RNA expression and metabolism, thus, the proper regulation of this class of proteins is critical for cellular health. Regulation of RBPs often occurs through post-translational modifications (PTMs), which allow the cell to quickly and efficiently respond to cellular and environmental stimuli. PTMs have recently emerged as important regulators of RBPs implicated in neurodegenerative disorders, in particular amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) and frontotemporal dementia (FTD). Here, we summarize how disease-associated PTMs influence the biophysical properties, molecular interactions, subcellular localization, and function of ALS/FTD-linked …
The transcription factor Zfh1 is involved in the regulation of neuropeptide expression and growth of larval neuromuscular junctions in Drosophila mel…
2008
AbstractDifferent aspects of neural development are tightly regulated and the underlying mechanisms have to be transcriptionally well controlled. Here we present evidence that the transcription factor Zfh1, the Drosophila member of the conserved zfh1 gene family, is important for different steps of neuronal differentiation. First, we show that late larval expression of the neuropeptide FMRFamide is dependent on correct levels of Zfh1 and that this regulation is presumably direct via a conserved zfh1 homeodomain binding site in the FMRFamide enhancer. Using MARCM analysis we additionally examined the requirement for Zfh1 during embryonic and larval stages of motoneuron development. We could …
Sporogen, S14-95, and S-curvularin, three inhibitors of human inducible nitric-oxide synthase expression isolated from fungi.
2003
The induction of human inducible nitric-oxide synthase (iNOS) expression depends (among other factors) on activation of the signal transducer and activator of transcription 1 (STAT1) pathway. Therefore, the STAT1 pathway may be an appropriate target for the development of inhibitors of iNOS expression. HeLa S3 cells transiently transfected with a gamma-activated site (GAS)/interferon-stimulated response element-driven reporter gene construct were used as the primary screening system. Using this system, three novel inhibitors of interferon-gamma-dependent gene expression, namely, sporogen, S14-95, and S-curvularin, were isolated from different Penicillium species. These three compounds also …
Involvement of PKC and NF-κB in Nitric Oxide Induced Apoptosis in Human Coronary Artery Smooth Muscle Cells
2001
Apoptosis of vascular smooth muscle cells is critically involved in progression of atherosclerosis and may prevent intimal hyperplasia in restenosis and vascular remodeling. Nitric oxide (NO) is known to induce apoptosis, but the signaling pathways still remain unclear. We investigated p53 accumulation, protein kinase C (PKC) activation and nuclear transcription factor (NF-kappaB) binding activity as possible signaling mechanisms of NO-induced apoptosis. Apoptosis was induced dose-dependently with the NO-donors sodiumnitroprusside (SNP: 232+/-48%) and SIN-1 (241+/-90% of actinomycin D induced apoptosis; means +/- SEM, *por =0.05 vs. control) in HSMC. Inhibition of PKC significantly attenuat…
Localization of mitochondrial Hsp56 chaperonin during sea urchin development.
2001
We have previously demonstrated that Paracentrotus lividus nuclear genome encodes for the heat shock inducible chaperonin homolog Hsp 56 (1) and that the mature protein is localized in the mitochondrial matrix (2). In this paper we report that constitutive Hsp56 is maternally inherited, in fact it is present in the in unfertilized eggs, and that it has a perinuclear specific localization during cleavage. In the later stages both the constitutive and the heat shock inducible chaperonin has a specific territorial distribution. Moreover following heat shock, the Hsp56 appears in the cytoplasm and in the postmitochondrial supernatant beside the mitochondrial fraction.
The nucleic acid binding protein PcCNBP is transcriptionally regulated during the immune response in red swamp crayfish Procambarus clarkii
2015
Cellular nucleic acid binding proteins (CNBPs) represent a highly conserved protein family among vertebrates; they harbour seven tandem zinc finger repeats CCHC type and have been described as transcriptional and translational regulators. To date, there is little characterization of CNBP in invertebrates since its structure and function have been analysed solely in Drosophila melanogaster. However, no CNBP has been investigated in other arthropod systems. In an effort to isolate immune-related genes in Procambarus clarkii, a partial mRNA coding a zinc finger containing protein was found to be up-regulated during the response to white spot syndrome virus (WSSV) infection. The red swamp crayf…
Insights into mRNP biogenesis provided by new genetic interactions among export and transcription factors.
2012
Abstract Background The various steps of mRNP biogenesis (transcription, processing and export) are interconnected. It has been shown that the transcription machinery plays a pivotal role in mRNP assembly, since several mRNA export factors are recruited during transcription and physically interact with components of the transcription machinery. Although the shuttling DEAD-box protein Dbp5p is concentrated on the cytoplasmic fibrils of the NPC, previous studies demonstrated that it interacts physically and genetically with factors involved in transcription initiation. Results We investigated the effect of mutations affecting various components of the transcription initiation apparatus on the…